letter from harris county attorney

Residents in Aldine recently packed a room to tell TCEQ not to approve another new plant only to find out that the deadline had already passed to ask the state agency to escalate the dispute to the next level. In at least one race, the provisional ballots could impact the outcome. Works with law enforcement officers in the investigation of criminal cases. Agreements, Corporate The difference in visions has dogged the project for more than two years, but progress on remaking the freeway hit two large potholes in March 2021, after critics of the widening convinced some local officials to step in andfederal highway officials paused work. But the Republicans opposed that at every turn. US Legal Forms provides you with a solution to exactly that. Sales, Landlord I dont expect that to be any more successful, but well see. The court will consider the tax rate again at its next meeting on Oct. 11, potentially forcing the two Republican commissioners to make a similar decision next month if they have not reached a compromise by then. Attorney Fee Standards effective June 1, 2019. . Menefees office asked the EPA to stop any new standard concrete batch plant permits from being issued until the investigation is finished, he said. Garcia 33,177 8,498 0 54,177 The project also connects to trails for running and biking, adds air monitoring in certain areas, adds features aimed at encouraging transit use and commits to stormwater design changes sought by the Harris County Flood Control District. The average bonus for a District Attorney is $7,054 which represents 9% of their salary, with 100% of people reporting that they receive a bonus each year. Attorneys. . While most criminal cases are handled in state courts rather than in federal courts, the types of criminal cases prosecuted by the United States Attorneys Office include white collar fraud, Medicare fraud, drug trafficking, tax evasion, and immigration crimes. A federal district judge granted the motion, which would have applied to the primaries, and Im willing to bet would have helped ease the confusion that led to all of those rejected mail ballots, but the Fifth Circuit, as is their wont, put a hold on the injunction. Adding huge swaths of concrete is the opposite of what Houston needs, Houstonian Joy Fairchild said during a public hearing for TxDOTsUnified Transportation Program. My office will be involved in the case every step of the way to ensure peoples votes are protected.. Harris County Justice of the Peace Court Forms - Downloadable forms for small claims cases, eviction, and criminal matters heard by Justices of the Peace. By signing the Business Records Affidavit and having it notarized, the recipient attests that the documents provided are true and correct copies of the original documents and that the documents are kept in the normal course of business. Change, Waiver But really, this is all about making noise and trying to cast doubt on the election administrators office and government in general in Harris County. FDAMS User Guide . Attorney General Ken Paxton is distorting the law to fuel conspiracy theories, encouraging reckless behavior that erodes public trust in our democratic process, Menefee said in a statement. Googling around, I saw a news item from September about Juul settling with the state of Texas, which was part of a larger class action settlement, and a news item from December about a $1.7 billion settlement of over 5000 lawsuits nationwide. I dont know when we as a society will act to protect people from gun violence, but we cannot act quickly enough. LLC, Internet I figure its just a matter of time before incumbent DA draws a primary challenger or two, so well want to keep an eye on her fundraising totals. On the other side of that, you can see that Judge Hidalgo left it all on the field. Judge Finch is represented by Anthony Drumheller. One reason for the expected slow count Tuesday is the Harris County Republican Partys decision to break with the countys ballot delivery plan, according to Harris County Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria. We have 26-pay-period accounting and Comptroller Hegar should know that, the judge said. I'm curious about what people think--should OP accept delivery? As part of the canvass, respondents are ordered to separately identify in the vote tabulations the number of later cast votes for each candidate in each race and for or against each proposition, so that candidates, the parties, and this Court may ascertain whether the later cast votes would be outcome-determinative and so that the parties can assess the extent to which further litigation is warranted. Hidalgos order requires students, teachers, staff and visitors to K-12 schools and daycare centers to wear face coverings. Texas Attorney General Website (How to Request Public Information), Harris County Attorneys Office,1019 Congress,15th FloorHouston, TX 77002. Republicans Tom Ramsey of Precinct 3 and Jack Cagle of Precinct 4 skipped Tuesdays Commissioners Court meeting as part of an ongoing battle of political wills that could extend until the deadline for approving a tax rate passes at the end of October. I am seeking legal representation in a civil case that I plan to file against my former employer. Voters who were in line by 7 p.m. were able to vote normally, while those who arrived between 7 and 8 p.m. were allowed to cast provisional ballots. I do hope the County Attorneys Office keeps an eye on this activity, because we know its ill-intentioned bullshit and it deserves to be closely scrutinized. People also can comment online, via phone or at local TxDOT offices. It represents the publics interest by opposing the issuance and renewal of environmental permits if the permit would be detrimental to public health. The two new agreements, one between TxDOT and the city and another between TxDOT and Harris County, specify the commitments both sides are making. Steer clear of days of lost time seeking the internet and dropped money on documents that arent updated. I think Harris County has the right response here. Thats a new statutory deadline for all judicial fundraising it used to be the case that judges who were involved in lawsuits could continue past that deadline, but the law was changed in the last session, so here we are. Will, Advanced The agreement announced Monday does not remove the pause the Federal Highway Administration placed on the project in March 2021. 16 Cause No. Ramsey 550,625 149,433 0 944,935 The contests being filed request that the more than one million votes cast in Harris County be voided and the county hold another election for the races being challenged (e.g., Harris County Judge, 189thDistrict Court, 180thDistrict Court, etc.). That sort of addresses my question above about the last line in the SCOTx order. Its just the Big Lie in a slightly sanitized package. Design specifics of the future I-45 interchange with Interstate 10 that accommodate Metros planned. Schools also are required to notify parents when a student has close contact with someone who tests positive for the virus. The lawsuit was brought by Harris County election administrator Isabel Longoria and Cathy Morgan, a volunteer deputy registrar who is appointed to help register voters in Travis and Williamson counties. Radack 0 71,246 0 794,652, You still have time to donate to the Democratic judges legal fund, Phony Defunding Claims II: Electric Boogaloo, Houston furniture magnate Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale, November 2022 election, adding to an array of GOP litigation. This website often will provide the arresting agency . Instead, the court did not issue an opinion and election night ballot countingproceeded uneventfullyat NRG Arena. Judge Peeples is based in San Antonio, and was appointed by the Honorable Susan Brown, the Presiding Judge of the Eleventh Administrative Judicial Region of Texas. A-Z, Form I will summarize what happened: A Republican poll watcher showed up to observe what the EVBB and SVC were doing. Morgan testified that she was concerned the law applied even to volunteers like her, given that her role is formally certified by county election offices. Thats a somewhat complicated headline for this. Commissioners Court convened the special meeting to decide on a response to Hegars claim. Rodriguez previewed his order throughout a Friday morning hearing during which he repeatedly pressed the states attorneys with increasing exasperation to fill in what he cataloged as ambiguities in the new law. Dan Simons is represented by Elizabeth Alvarez. Christian Menefee, Harris County Attorney The men gave her an official-looking affidavit form and asked her to sign it attesting to the residents at the address under penalty of perjury.. 18 Cause No. Ingram said he didnt know the purpose of the provision. The group represents Harris County and numerous entities including the Harris County Appraisal Review Board, the Harris County Toll Road Authority, the Harris County Tax Office, the Harris County Sheriffs Office, the Harris County Constables, and the Harris County Fire Marshals Office. Notes, Premarital This is how I learned how little was in their campaign accounts. I dont see the appeals being successful, but maybe theres some technical point of law on which they can get a rehearing. Texas Republicans rightly have no faith in the 2020 election results and we dont care how many times the elites tell us we have to, said Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi, who was elected the leader of the party with no opposition. The Department of Justice haschallengedS.B. But we dont plan to let him abuse his power. We have never agreed that these ballots can be part of the final election results, and this afternoon were going to ask that the Texas Supreme Court rule that these late-cast votes should be excluded as Texas law requires.. State highway officials held fast to their plans for rebuilding Interstate 45 in Houston on Thursday, offering a litany of benefits the project will bring and pressing federal officials to lift a 12-month-and-counting pause on development. Abbott is exceeding his authority under the state Disaster Act of 1975, Menefee argued, which the county attorney said allows the governor to suspend laws in only narrow circumstances. The letter, from the law firm Odelson, Sterk, Murphey, Frazer & McGrath is addressed to five of the 11 candidates for ethics board: David Carrabotta, Lisa Emmett Stechman, David Laske, Joy Alfonsi . Neighborhoods with batch plants lack deed restrictions and zoning to protect them, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said. Judge Lina Hidalgo and the Harris County Commissioners Court are defunding the police.. On the one hand, I have faith that local political leaders who have been vocal in their opposition to TxDOTs previous plans have done their best to get as good a deal as they can. In Independence Heights, the first city incorporated by Black residents in Texas, the project proposes drainage improvements to alleviate persistent flooding in the area. The Texas Election Network website which has minimal information about the organization and does not disclose its leadership lists five objectives, including clean voter rolls and fraud-free absentee ballots. 12(lost to Judge Genesis Draper), Brian Staley, former candidate forHarris County Civil County Court at Law No. Though there is concern about the projects impacts in Midtown, Third Ward and Eado, the most vocal opposition to the project emanates from north of downtown where TxDOT proposes to add two managed lanes in each direction to I-45. Harris County Attorney's Office 1019 Congress, 15th Floor Houston, TX 77002 Office: 713-755-5101 Fax: 713-755-8924 Communications@harriscountytx.gov Harris County Attorney's Office Staff Directory For Media Inquiries Media Hotline: 832-544-8045 Communications@harriscountytx.gov To Report Price Gouging Click hereto file a report. I did not see any news items related to this, so what you see here is all I know. I would be very interested in meeting with you to discuss this matter further, and I would appreciate any advice or guidance you can provide. Luncefords opponent, Democrat Tamika Craft, won the election by 0.26 percent of the vote. Can you imagine what the Republican response to this would be if it were a Democrat complaining about voting location problems? 2023-00952; Nile Copeland v. Judge Latosha Lewis Payne. Last time around, Hegar folded like a cheap suit after Harris County took the matter to court. I hope that as long as things are still being worked out theres still room to get assurances and confirmations about the things that Metro has agreed to. Menefee said Harris County had received more than three dozen requests to inspect ballots since Paxton issued his opinion. Just for the comedy value, Id like to see this scenario play out. Contact, how to subpoena hospital record in massachusetts without attorney, how to get the forms of us citizen notarization power of attorney, at what point in home buying process hire attorney, what kind of attorney do do i need to get vender contracts, parent has evoked power of attorney what to do, where can i get power of attorney near me, how to obtain a court appointed attorney from jail imn morgan county, al, why would i receive a letter from harris county attorney. In 2022, the county passed a shortened seven-month budget that was in effect until the new schedule began in October. Last year, TCEQ approved an amendment that included exemptions for emission limitations for concrete batch plants, in response to an application to construct a plant by a Fort Worth concrete company. This law was created to combat alleged voter fraud that we know does not exist, and instead hinders the ability to properly encourage seniors and voters with disabilities to exercise their right to vote by mail, saidChristian Menefee, the County Attorney for Harris County, Texas. I appreciate that Mayor Turner, Congresswoman Jackson Lee, Judge Hidalgo, Commissioners Ellis and Garcia, County Attorney Menefee, and everyone Im forgetting eventually had to say Yes to a sincere and meaningful counteroffer. Rodriguez took particular issue with the lack of a clear definition for what constitutes soliciting when talking to voters, even those 65 and older who automatically qualify to vote by mail under the states strict rules. The two men, according to doorbell camera video footage recorded by a Sunnyside resident, wore badges identifying themselves as members of Texas Election Network, a conservative grass-roots organization formed in 2021. Eventually, Will Thompson of the Texas attorney generals office told Rodriguez that the provision was meant to limit official encouragement of voting by mail, indicating the state preferred people vote in person even if they qualify to vote by mail. Meeting Request Use this link to request a meeting with the County Attorney. Not all the things we wanted materialized, but that is compromise, said Harris County Pct. For now, at least. Have I got that right? The litigation exception typically is upheld by courts, so McIngvales lawsuit is unlikely to produce the requested records, he said. Nor does it require that election officials start soliciting applications to vote by mail it simply prevents the imposition of criminal and civil penalties against officials for encouraging people to vote by mail if they are eligible to do so, Rodriguez wrote. In a statement, Longoria said: In April, the EAs Office discussed the May 7 law enforcement and county driver program with the Secretary of States Offices Managing Attorney of the Elections Division, specifically requesting guidance and recommendations. For individuals who dont have a subscription yet, have a look at our how-guide below to make getting started easier: You can now open up the Texas Attorney Vacation Form sample and fill it out online or print it and get it done yourself. in the final count and seeking clarification so that the parties can pursue any legal remedies, if necessary., In a statement Monday, Harris County Attorneys office spokesperson Roxanne Werner said: Representatives from the Attorney Generals office and the Harris County Republican Party asked for the language describing that process to be removed from the agreed order, leaving Harris County to process and count the late ballots as they would other provisional ballots while ensuring they were kept segregated. 2023-00925; Michelle Fraga v. Judge Christine Weems. The Supreme Court is occasionally solicitous of the First Amendment, if it approves of the speech in question, so who knows what they might do. Mark Goldberg Assistant District Attorney | Harris County District Attorney's Office. As things stand now, a whole lot of people will be mad at the outcome, whatever it is. Those ballots were cast after a district court judge ordered Harris County polling places to remain open an extra hour because many locations had opened late that morning. Note that Paxton had previously tried to indict Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir on similarly flimsy charges in 2020, but a grand jury in Williamson County again, not where the alleged crime took place declined to indict. The Texas Transportation Commission kept I-45 in its funding plans a few months ago, and some design work was allowed to continue, but now theres another federal complaint filed against the project by various opponents. Im going to guess hed run as a Democrat, but I cant say for sure at this time. In the roughly 20 months since, officials chipped away at the differences,postponing action on the countys lawsuitand awaiting the federal review, while exploring what changes TxDOT could make to appease concerns. The main argument was that this provision of SB1 criminalizes speech on the basis of its content and the viewpoint expressed, since Longoria could talk all day about not voting by mail but risked arrest if she said the opposite. They couldnt hold out forever theres a lot of pressure to make I-45 renovation and expansion happen and no one gets everything they want in a negotiation. (713) 275-7830. One judge whose race is being challenged, David Fleisher, lives in 133. The case, Paxton v. Longoria, concerns a First-Amendment issue over how provisions in Senate Bill 1, a 2021 law, could lead to civil penalties and or criminal prosecution of county election administrators and volunteer deputy registrars. Adding sidewalks and bike amenities to areas where TxDOThas committed to trying to reduce the number of properties it will take. 2023-01202; Stan Stanart v. Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth. Lets make it a little less hard for these Dems who clearly and correctly won their races. Federal law limits the types of requests that the U.S. Attorneys Office can make and the scope of the documentation that it can request. Spanish, Localized Menefee. That means the ball is in the state governments court, he said, which will have to make a move if it wants to change the status quo before Monday.. Seriously, this was a fine performance by the Elections Office. Im proud of this outcome settling our lawsuit against JUUL. Who is the county attorney Harris County? Hopefully we will hear more about how this is progressing quickly. That link takes you here, and while the in-person fundraiser mentioned there is now over, the Donate link remains. If their position is weak, they will hear about it early on and know the reasons why. Under Hegars calculations, Heaps annualized budget would have been about $48.9 million over 12 months nearly $2.3 million more than the $46.7 million figure calculated by the county. The Harris County Bail Bond Board, on its second attempt, passed a rule that made the ten percent minimum a requirement, and in response a bail bond company owner filed a lawsuit to stop it. A court of law ordered Harris County to keep the polls to open for an additional hour on Election Day and people across our county cast their ballots during that time, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee said in a statement. The amended complaint was filed on Monday, December 27. Im extremely doubtful that there is a legitimate legal challenge here, Stein said. Theres clearly a difference of interpretation of the law here, and if that cant be resolved on its own then a courtroom is the proper venue. Harris County will pause its lawsuit against the Texas Department of Transportation over the proposed Interstate 45 widening in hopes that it leads to a consensus that has eluded them for more than four years. He believes the collective force of school districts, county judges, and mayors could push the weather vane in the opposite direction. The stay and pause, officials said, would give an opening to officials to work out details of the planned freeway widening without backing off their opposition to what TxDOT is proposing. With a new election administrator about to come on board, we can revisit the matter and see if theres a consensus to be had. When it comes to voting by mail, I have to be very careful with my words, Longoria said from the witness stand. The countys agreement can only be approved after a Commissioners Court meeting, scheduled for Thursday. Im sure theyll say theyre just a bland nonprofit, but to a voter who does not have a law degree, who does not have a background in law enforcement, you are a lot more likely to believe that this is some kind of quasi-official visit, Slattery said. On the other hand, I and others who live close to I-45 and will be directly affected by whatever does happen in some way and lets be clear, lots of people will be much more directly affected than I will are under no obligation to like this agreement, no matter how reasonable it may be and no matter how unprecedented it may be for TxDOT to bend as much as they apparently did. Not to my knowledge anyways. Agreements, LLC Our hospital system will operate at a $45 million deficit, Hidalgo said. I will of course keep an eye on it. Menefee. This isnt a lawsuit, its an investigation. Seems like a lot of fuss for something that is unlikely to go anywhere, but who knows. . Click the Create button below for a Certified Letter of Disposition or enter additional information . Forms, Real Estate The Court accepted the certified questions and set oral argument for May 11, 2022. Berrys office said Heap actually received $48.5 million. 2. If you have a favorite or two among them and a few bucks to spare, Im sure theyd appreciate a contribution. Comptroller Hegar misapplied the law, bungled the math, and is acting outside of his legal . So our perspective is that those provisional ballots are no different than any other provisional ballots they are to be counted.. I stop mid-sentence sometimes at town halls. In Tarrant County, volunteers with a conservative group occupied a room in the elections office for weeks this summer, examining 300,000 ballots from the March 2020 primary, which were made available by the county 22 months after the election. The injunction applies to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and local county prosecutors in Harris, Travis and Williamson counties. Im perfectly happy telling them all to take one of the commuter buses in, and if the service for that is inadequate to push for it to be improved. The clerk told me I had wrote a bad check for $16.00 and with Attorny Fee's it's now $86.00 shocked to hear the charge..I asked for details on the check she said she can't not give me that info only as to the business name who sent check to them. 5:00AM. Gonzalez 0 4,032 0 9,258 They are scaring people into creating this system that isnt even legal.. To say the least, that would be an extraordinary circumstance. Hes playing a tough game with everybody, but if enough people stand up to him and cause enough of an uproar, hell back down, I think, Flores said. As far as this goes, I dont think anyone is making any new arguments, and there continues to be a large gap between what activists and local governments want out of the project and what TxDOT is willing to give. Even in the case of the loser who lost to DaSean Jones by 449 votes, its extremely hard to imagine there could have been enough people who encountered problems and could not vote anywhere else and would have voted for the loser to make a difference. She is 1 of 17 elected Harris County Dem. Wayne Dolcefino, a media consultant and former TV journalist. The USPS rede livery form states that it was both a letter and certified mail. There may be an opinion in the future that addresses that question.. Isabel Longoria, the Harris County Elections Administrator, and Cathy Morgan, a Volunteer Deputy Registrar serving in Williams and Travis counties, sued the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, to enjoin enforcement of the civil liability provision, as applied to the anti-solicitation provision. Harris County Republican Party Chair Cindy Siegel indicated there could be more election contests to come. We cant spend money to design and we cant spend money to do those things, Ryan said at the forum, which drew criticism because it was for paying guests only at an event sponsored by various engineering, construction and planning firms. Liens, Real Paxtons office did not respond to specific questions about why he disagreed with Bitters conclusion, nor did he respond to requests for comment. Judge Jackson is represented by John Raley.